TechCrunch Mobility: Bankruptcy takes two

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The tour began with several bankruptcies – Canoo and Nicholas – and now it ends with two more. Rad Power Bikes it is coming to an end – or at least bankruptcy. The electric bike company provided it Chapter 11 bankruptcy protectiona few weeks later it warned employees that it could close without new funding. A spokesperson told TechCrunch that the company will continue to operate while the bankruptcy case continues, and that it intends to sell the business within 45-60 days.

And then there are the difficulties of making a lidar nothat too filed for bankruptcy this week. Luminar’s breakdown doesn’t seem like let’s-help-it-live-another-day.

The writing of Luminar, which took place after months of dismissaldeparture from the authorities, and a legal battle and its biggest customer, Volvo, says the company plans to sell the business. It has already reached an agreement to sell its semiconductor division. Although the company will continue to operate during the bankruptcy to “minimize disruption” to its suppliers and customers, Luminar will eventually cease to exist after the bankruptcy, a senior reporter said. Sean O’Kane report. Want to know more? I recommend reading O’Kane’s piece that looks like that Volvo’s damaged Luminar deal has helped push the company into bankruptcy.

Although the year was marked by some failures, it does not mean that 2025 will not be filled with innovation and growth. The emerging robotaxi industry is indeed it has been discovered. That’s how I’ve seen new types of independent neighborhood businesses emerge, and I expect that to change in 2026.

The development of robotaxis was largely driven by That’s it rapid growth, though Zoox and Tesla they have started building a shop again. This next year may be when we see these companies fighting more in the same markets; it will also be a year in which companies will face greater scrutiny on safety and the role of robotics in everyday life.

Meanwhile, EVs have struggled this year and automakers have struggled to adapt.

For example, Ford it’s coming back. The company said this week that to finish the production of the all-electric F-150 as part of a major industry shake-up that will put more emphasis on hybrid and gas-powered vehicles. As part of its transformation, Ford is turning to an increasingly popular “electric vehicle” model, which adds a gasoline generator that can recharge the battery to provide power for more than 700 miles of driving range. It’s going back in energy storage business – it needs to do something with all those batteries – and is said to be still committed to developing a mid-size electric car that will go on sale in 2027.

But hey, the EV isn’t dead. And the promise of smaller, cheaper ones is coming closer with the imminent launch of It’s Rivian r2 is Slate Auto Pictures electric car.

Housing documents: This is the last letter of the year. The next time you hear from me, I’ll be in Las Vegas at the annual trade show known as CES. Are you going? Reach out.

To everyone, thanks for reading, participating in the polls, and sending me emails (yes, even the hard ones). Your voice is important and I love hearing from you. See you in 2026!

A little bird

Journalist Jagmeet Singh, who lives in India, always seems to have a bird in his ear about the start-up business. The latest is SpinnyIndia’s online used car market.

Spinny raises about $160 millionthe proceeds will be used to start the GoMechanic car service. TechCrunch has learned that the Series G includes a mix of first and second round events and will value the startup over 10 years at approximately $1.8 billion after financing.

Do you have a warning for us? Email Kirsten Korosec at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com or my Signal at kkorosec.07, or email Sean O’Kane at sean.okane@techcrunch.com.

Sales!

A boat repairman and GetMyBoattwo companies that operate Airbnb-type businesses on yachts, agreed to agree.

Cowboy is back – kind of. The e-bike launch in Brussels is here was found and ReBirth Group Holding, the company that owns Gitane, Peugeot, and Solex. The e-bike startup had an exciting time but eventually ran into problems, including frame recall. The terms were not disclosed, but it appears to include €15 million ($17.6 million) from previous owners.

Insurance Nirvanaan insurance technology startup focused on driving, earned $100 million in a Series D financing round led by Valor Equity Partners. Lightspeed and General Catalyst also joined. Former TC reporter Mary Ann Azevedo had an update on the new price, which is now $1.5 billion.

Popular reading and more

Redwood he got a new patent Battery Collection Bin designed to encourage consumers to recycle batteries. The system, which will be launched in San Francisco, carefully stores, packages, and inspects hundreds of batteries and devices that contain batteries.

Rivian has added its “Universal Hands-Free” car through a additional software to its second-generation R1 EVs (not sure I’m a fan of the term “hands-free,” btw). This upgrade will allow drivers to take their hands off the 3.5 million roads in the US and Canada (as long as there are painted lines). Also in case you missed it over the weekend, senior reporter Sean O’Kane took us inside Rivian’s bet on AI-powered self-driving.

Finding America’s Future Energy they have a new CEO. Avery AshSAFE’s Vice President for Government Affairs and Special Initiatives, will be the agency’s next CEO.

Slate Autoan electric car driven by Jeff Bezos, said it has collected more than 150,000 deposits refunded for its low-cost EV expected by the end of 2026.

Sterling Anderson he has been at work GM for six months and there are already stories about him take over as CEO once Mary Barra he breathes. My comments: Anderson has a lot of work ahead of him, so let’s all give him a shot before assuming he’ll get the top spot. President of GM Mark Reuss they are also in the wings.

Tesla has released public safety alerts from his robotaxis in Austin. The robotaxi service is limited by the fleet numbering in the dozens. However, it is a very important issue. And for those wondering, the California Department of Motor Vehicles told me this week that Tesla has not yet applied for a driver’s license. The company only holds the license to test autonomous vehicle technology and driver safety for the people behind the wheel.

Meanwhile, Tesla is facing trouble in California. Here’s the bottom line: A federal judge agreed with a lawsuit brought by the California Department of Motor Vehicles and ruled against Tesla. engage in fraudulent transactions which gave customers a false impression of the capabilities of its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving driver-assistance software. The DMV wants to suspend Tesla’s sales and manufacturing licenses in the state for 30 days as punishment for its actions, and a judge has agreed.

But wait. The DMV dropped the order and is giving Tesla 60 days to comply. This gives Tesla two options if it wants to keep the licenses: drop the Autopilot name or send a software program to its cars that makes them autonomous.

One thing…

Some of you may not know that I live with them EquityTechCrunch’s podcast about startup business. I usually host our Friday program, which provides commentary and analysis of the week’s news.

Every now and then I interview a founder or VC on the Wednesday show. The most recent and discussion is Jiten Behla partner at Eclipse Ventures and a former director of growth at Rivian, who thinks we are entering an era of major restructuring in the US – one in which industries use AI-driven robots, not cheap outsourcing. Check out the episode here.